


The First Kiss

by abcame



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, First Dates, First Kiss, M/M, Mako POV, Mutual Pining, its been a while for him ok, makos a dork, makos so flustered, modern AU but it’s not that important, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29813091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abcame/pseuds/abcame
Summary: in which mako and wu return from their first date and wu is the one with the moves
Relationships: Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	The First Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> I’ll fix the typos one day

The date had been great; in hindsight, he didn’t know why he had been nervous beforehand because the whole thing about Wu is that he made Mako feel incredibly at ease. Maybe his casual confidence, the way he was effortlessly himself, rubbed off onto those around him. Maybe he was just naturally a people person or his poli sci training had made him good at making others trust him. Mako didn’t know what it was—all he knew is that Wu was already dangerously close to knocking down his famously high and insurmountable emotional walls. And the most surprising part? Mako was okay with that.

All that ease had melted away now, though, as Wu pulled into Mako’s driveway. He was now fiddling with his hands, his eyes darting all around the car, anywhere but Wu’s face. How do dates end again?

After what felt like an eternity, Wu finally broke the awkward silence. “I had a lot of fun tonight,” he smiled.

Mako let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Yeah, me too,” he said, forcing himself to make eye contact, finally.

“Maybe we could do it again?” Wu asked, his tone turned up on the end, hopeful.

“Definitely,” Mako nodded and smiled, holding Wu’s gaze. Too quickly, though, he felt heat rising in his cheeks and had to look down at his shoes. _Why the hell were his eyes so green?_

He coughed into his hand to hide the blush. “So, uh, thanks for picking me up,” he said, reaching for the door handle.

“Oh wait, I’ll get out too,” Wu replied, already halfway out the door.

 _“What? Why?”_ Mako thought. He didn’t quite say all that, though. In fact, all that came out was a quiet, “Wha—” that quickly dropped off as realization dawned. He cursed himself for speaking out loud and hoped Wu hadn’t heard his audible confusion (he had, but he had the grace not to mention it).

They stepped into the light of the headlights, as if they were two actors searching for the spotlights. Mako swallowed hard while biting at his lips.

The anticipation in the air was palpable, nearly a hazy wall between them. He wished the ground would swallow him up right then and there, anything to put him out of his misery; he’d stood there in silence, staring at his shoes for too long. Surely, the moment was ruined by now. _Ugh_.

“Well, uhh goo-“

Wu stepped closer, derailing Mako’s train of thought.

“Did you want to kiss?” Wu asked with a nervous smile, his eyebrows raised. His tone was assured, as it always was, but softer than usual. Mako was surprised by the question and even more surprised to see Wu, who usually aired on the side of cocky confidence, nervous. _Cute_.

“Mm, yeah,” he replied with a playful shrug, hoping he was downplaying just how badly he wanted to, without sounding disinterested.

As Wu stepped even closer into his space, Mako tried to compose himself. He tried to recall all his experience and knowledge of how this would go from years ago, back when he was with Korra; where hands could go, how long it should last, how lips fit together. He tried to remind himself of the stomach churning anticipation in the seconds before so that he wouldn’t recoil at the feeling and fuck this up. He was 22 years old but coaching himself through this kiss more than he ever had when he was a teenager. _Pathetic._

Before he could finish running through his checklist of reminders, though, Wu placed his hand on Mako’s cheek and, suddenly, they were kissing.

As it happened, Mako realized he’d forgotten way more about how this felt than he’d thought. The way it feels like nothing and everything at once. That it takes a second to adjust to any feeling at all. Once his senses adjusted, he took note of how Wu’s lips were as soft as he’d had imagined and how he kissed with the confidence and intention one would expect, but there was something else. It was almost timid, like he wanted so much more but had to hold himself back. Mako’s over analytical brain was so busy trying to memorize everything about the moment that he almost forgot to kiss him back, to play into the kiss at all. He came to his senses just before it was too late, though, because only a moment later Wu pulled back, leaving Mako’s lips cold and tingly. He wanted more the moment it ended.

With a smile (the one that hurt Mako a little to look at, like he was seeing something too bright and sweet to be meant for him) and his hand reaching for the driver’s side door, Wu said,

“Goodnight, Mako, I had fun.”

Mako shivered at the sound of Wu saying his name. “I uhhh, yeah, I,” he stammered, coughing into his hand. He could feel his cheeks on fire and suddenly very aware of how well he was illuminated by the headlights. He stepped forward, away from their glow and back into Wu’s space.

Gently, he took Wu’s reaching hand in his own. “I had fun, too.”

Wu looked up at their clasped hands and then back up at Mako, his green eyes wide and still bright even in the darkness. Mako stared back, his breath catching in his throat. _Had they always had that ring of gold in the middle?_ He’d planned to kiss him again, he really had, but once he was there again, inches apart, Wu looking at him like _that_ , he was utterly frozen, mesmerized.

A barking dog nearby pulled them both from their trance. Wu blinked and squeezed Mako’s hand before dropping it.

“Goodnight, Mako.” It was practically a whisper, spoken through a shy but sincere smile.

 _God damn it._ Mako had missed his chance, again, like some silly pre teen. He told himself it was okay, he’d make up for it next time.

“Drive safe, Wu.”


End file.
